One method of exciting a laser crystal is by means of laser diodes in arrays placed adjacent to the laser crystal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,187 to Karpinski, issued Aug. 13, 1991, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,951 to Karpinski, issued Jul. 7, 1992 are the most relevant prior art that we know of. Each of them discloses a flat dielectric substrate with an overlying conductive layer, and laser diode bars mounted in grooves in the conductive layer. The Karpinski patents are more fully discussed below in connection with FIGS. 1-8 herein.